Chapter Fifty-Nine: An Acquaintance, Perhaps

After hanging up the phone, Ruan Mianmian turned to Wu Ketian with a smile and said, “Go on and get ready, you’ll start work tomorrow!”

“Alright! Thank you, Director!”

Before leaving, Wu Ketian gave Ruan Mianmian a deep bow, then slowly exited the office.

Once she was gone, A-Kuan sidled over and asked, “Ruan, why were you so enthusiastic just now? It looked… oddly out of character!”

“What do you know?” Ruan Mianmian replied with a meaningful smile. “She’s not just any ordinary person.”

“Huh? So you really do know her?” A-Kuan asked.

Ruan Mianmian pursed her lips. “You could say that.”

She knew the characters from the novel—what difference did it make?

The day slipped by quickly in the slow trickle of time. It was nearly the end of the workday when Ruan Mianmian realized she hadn’t seen Jian Yanzhi all day and wondered what he might be busy with.

Speak of the devil—Jian Yanzhi appeared in her office just as she thought of him.

Dark circles shadowed his eyes, betraying a lack of rest, and he looked rather weary, lacking his usual vigor.

“What’s wrong?” Ruan Mianmian asked curiously.

Jian Yanzhi sighed, sank onto the sofa beside her, and shot her a look.

Ruan Mianmian understood immediately and turned to A-Kuan: “It’s almost time to leave, why don’t you go ahead and get the car?”

A-Kuan wasn’t stupid—he knew exactly what that meant. Clearly, they wanted him gone.

He didn’t linger, just nodded and headed for the door. But he was cautious, leaving it ajar instead of closing it completely.

Ruan Mianmian noticed but pretended not to, and Jian Yanzhi, lost in his own concerns, didn’t pay it any mind.

“So, what happened?” she asked again.

Jian Yanzhi pressed his lips together, then looked up at her. “The deal for the land in Jiangcheng’s new district fell through. Qian Lei has already found a new partner.”

Ruan Mianmian’s eyelid twitched—it was this that put him in a foul mood.

But this was all her handiwork; she knew far more about the matter than Jian Yanzhi ever could.

Still, to keep suspicion at bay, she feigned ignorance.

“Oh? How could that happen? Do you know who the new partner is?”

Jian Yanzhi massaged his temples, his face drawn with fatigue. “I don’t know. Qian Lei didn’t say. But once the news is out in a few days, it’ll be clear enough.”

Ruan Mianmian raised an eyebrow—Qian Lei was keeping everything tightly under wraps.

“It’s alright. At worst, the money is saved for another piece of land. It’s not the end of the world. That’s how business works anyway.”

She offered a token comfort.

Jian Yanzhi looked up, his expression softening. “The company put a lot of effort into securing that deal, but… never mind, let’s not talk about it.” He glanced at Ruan Mianmian and continued, “Have dinner with me tonight, will you? Consider it a little comfort for someone down on his luck at work?”

“Huh?”

The abrupt invitation caught Ruan Mianmian off guard.

“I don’t think dinner is necessary,” she replied, not very willing.

Jian Yanzhi’s eyes narrowed slightly in amusement. “Then think of it as a thank you for helping you find Shen Ting’s address yesterday. Have dinner with me. Is that alright?”

Ruan Mianmian was left speechless.

Why did he insist on having dinner with her? Didn’t he already have a girlfriend?

That thought brought another realization: she hadn’t seen Song Chenxi in a while. Jian Yanzhi used to bring her to the office often.

What had changed lately?

She asked, “Where’s Song Chenxi? Why not ask her to dinner?”

Jian Yanzhi choked on her words, recalling how Song Chenxi had thrown a fit a couple of days ago over Ruan Mianmian’s return to the company. The memory made him all the more irritated.

Judging by his reaction, Ruan Mianmian sensed something was amiss.

“Did you two… have a fight?”

Jian Yanzhi shot her a sidelong glance, then stood up from the sofa and approached her.

“Why are you so interested in other people’s business?”

What?

She was meddling?

Ruan Mianmian was stunned. “What do you mean by that, Jian Yanzhi?”

“Nothing. Just don’t leave after work—have dinner with me.” With that, Jian Yanzhi strode out the door without a backward glance.

No sooner had he left than A-Kuan rushed in, exclaiming, “Ruan, you can’t go out to dinner with him!”

Ruan Mianmian rolled her eyes. “Why can’t I? I’m going!”

“You! You!” A-Kuan was at a loss for words, so he threatened, “If you go, I’ll tell the boss!”

Ruan Mianmian couldn’t help but laugh. “Go ahead! Or I’ll help you tell him myself!”

Not a word from him all day, and he still wanted to stop her from dining with someone else.

Not a chance!

Ruan Mianmian made up her mind—she would go have dinner with Jian Yanzhi.

“Take the car home. My own car is still in the garage, so I’ll drive myself back to Haixing Bay tonight. Head on home now.”

With that, she dismissed A-Kuan and strutted out of the office, pride in every step.

A-Kuan scratched his head in frustration. “What now?”

On Jian Yanzhi’s end, after a whole day of emergency meetings, he had no mind left for work. Seeing Ruan Mianmian ready, he took her hand and they both snuck out early.

There was still more than half an hour before the official end of the workday, so the elevator was empty.

“Where’s your driver?” Jian Yanzhi asked.

“I told him to tidy up the office. He can leave when he’s done.” Ruan Mianmian shot Jian Yanzhi a sidelong glance, wondering if he had forgotten A-Kuan’s face—after all, they’d met before, but apparently, Jian Yanzhi didn’t remember him.

That was just as well; it saved her the trouble of explaining.

They took the elevator down and headed for the parking garage.

“What do you want to eat?” Jian Yanzhi asked.

“Isn’t that your job to decide? Why ask me? I have no preference,” Ruan Mianmian replied, her attention fixed on her phone.

Jian Yanzhi chuckled. “Alright, then let’s go to that Western restaurant you used to like.”

She looked at him with a hint of distaste. “Western food? I’m not in the mood.”

“How about Japanese?”

“Not really feeling that, either.”

“Then just Chinese food. Any dishes you’re craving?”

“I’m not particularly craving anything.”

Jian Yanzhi was left speechless.

Women really are troublesome creatures.

He decided not to bother asking her opinion anymore—it was pointless.

Once they were in the car, Ruan Mianmian suddenly thought of something and exclaimed excitedly, “Let’s go have a drink!”

“Drinks?”

“Yes! Let’s go to that place you frequent. What’s your friend’s name again? Chen Ci! That’s it.”

There was a light smile in her eyes, making her look especially lovely.